Hezbollah: FG finally arraigns Lebanese suspects

THE Federal Government on Wednesday finally arraigned three Lebanese suspects who were arrested for their alleged involvement in importation of arms before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
The accused persons, Mustapha Fawaz, Abdallah Tahini and Talal Ahmad Roda, owners of Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland Amusement Park in Abuja, were arraigned on a six count charge bordering on terrorism-related acts.
They, however,  pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them.
It is recalled that the trio were earlier arraigned before an Abuja Magistrates’ Court  but the State Security Service (SSS) withdrew the charges on ground that the court has no jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
In the fresh charge preffered against them, they are accused of belonging to the military wing of the Hezbollah and had allegedly received training in preparation for engaging in terrorist acts.
They are equally alleged to have facilitated the acquisition of terrorist funds and withheld from security agencies information which would have aided the apprehension of another person involved in terrorist activities.
Each count attracts a maximum of 10 years imprisonment.
Counsel to the accused persons, Ahmed Raji, asked that his clients be remanded in SSS custody on the basis that the prison has inadequate facility to accommodate them, a position the prosecution supported.
A letter earlier written by the Comptroller of Prisons in respect of another case of terrorism stated that he has no facility to keep such high profile terrorist suspects.
Meanwhile, the accused persons have filed an application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter.
They are also asking that they be granted bail and their businesses be reopened.
Director of Public Prosecution, Simon Egede, asked for time to enable prosecution respond to the application.
Adjourning till July 8 to hear the applications, Justice Adeniyi Ademola ordered both counsel to file and exchange processes before then.
The court also ordered that the accused persons be remanded in the custody of SSS until the next adjourned date.
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